An Incomplete List of Chess Scholarships & Awards

-Contact Kelly Jacobs at USCF for further information on available scholarships
-Download a sample letter to encourage your favorite college to do likewise      

Alabama
The Samford family offers the annual Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship (administered through Chess-in-the-Schools, New York--see below), giving brilliant young American chessmasters the support necessary to reach their full potential.  The total value of the fellowship is $32,000/year and may be renewable for a second year.

California
The annual CEA Grandnational Scholastic Chess Championships awards sixty $1,000 scholarships to top finishers.

Colorado
The Colorado State Chess Association offers two $350 need and merit-based scholarships to help finance trips to scholastic nationals.

Florida
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University offers a $500.00 yearly scholarship for the winner of the Florida Chess Association South Regional Championship.

Hawaii
Hawaii Pacific University & Chaminade University award scholarship funds to each of the top two 12th-grade finishers at state championships.

Illinois
Shimer College awards a maximum of $2,000 per person per year.

Kentucky
Morehead State University Leadership Award--$1,000 per year renewable for four years, given to the top-finishing senior at the Quad D Regional Tournament.

Louisiana
McNeese State University in Lake Charles awards a scholarship valued at $11,200 to the qualifying winner of the K-12 Louisiana Chess Championship.

Maryland
The University of Maryland at Baltimore offers three types of four-year chess scholarships. 

Minnesota
The AmericInn National Youth Chess Tournament in St. Paul, Minnesota each February awards scholarship prizes totaling over $12,000.

Mississippi
Ole Miss in Oxford offers two $500 scholarships for the top girl and top boy winners of the Dexter Visits the 2nd Tiger Scholastic Chess Tournament. 

Mississippi State University in Starkville has offered two $500.00 scholarships for the top boy and girl chess players at the Mississippi State Chess Championships for 2002 and 2003. 

Jackson State University in Jackson has offered two $500.00 scholarships for the top boy and girl chess players at the Mississippi State Chess Championships for 2002 and 2003--and they get to choose their college. 

New Mexico
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, offers a $1,500 yearly scholarship award to the K-12 scholastic champion.   

New York
The Samford Chess Scholarship (see Alabama, above) and the Aspis Prize (for under age 13) are administered through Chess-in-the-Schools, formerly known as the American Chess Foundation.

North Carolina
Henderson County Community Foundation grants guaranteed $500/year perpetual chess player scholarships following an initial investment.

Ohio
Kenyon College, Cleveland, Ohio offers $10,000 toward a $35,000 per year tuition.

A $500.00 scholarship award to any college is presented annually by the OSCA to the top 12th-grader at the state scholastic chess championship.

Oklahoma
Rogers State University in Claremore offers a $200 per semester chess scholarship for Management and Accounting majors. 

Rhode Island
Rhode Island College in Providence was the first school in the country to award talent-based chess scholarships.  In 2002 they had a pool of approx. $7,000 with which to help subsidize their players' college educations.

Tennessee
Tennessee Technological University awards a four-year scholarship valued at $12,000 to the Tennessee State High School Champion each year. 

Texas
University of Texas, Dallas, Academic Excellence Scholarship--waiver of all tuition and 
mandatory fees plus $1,000 per year toward housing for each of 4 years.  Scholarship will be 
upgraded if student has an excellent academic record.  Approximate value $18,000+. 

Annual Denker Tournament of High School Champions, awarding up to two $30,000 scholarships to the University of Texas, Dallas.

Texas A&M University, Kingsville Housing Scholarship--this is a four-year scholarship valued
at $7,500. 

University of Texas, Brownsville, President's Chess Scholarship--UTB will offer two four-year 
scholarships to top South Texas high school chess scholars.  These renewable yearly scholarships include tuition, books, and fees, and have a value of over $10,000 each. 

Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos Optimist International Scholarship--$1,000.

Del Mar College President's Chess Scholarship--a two-year scholarship to include tuition, books 
and fees, with a value of over $4,000, for a student within the local five-county area.

St. Mary's University, San Antonio--two $5,000-per-year scholarships.

Washington
America's Foundation for Chess has awarded top finishers at the Washington state individual championships.

U.S. Chess Trust
Scholar-Chessplayer awards now increased to $5,000 (reported 2002).

University Chess Links:
Arizona State University Chess Team
Caltech Chess Club
Harvard Chess Club--"Castling in the Square"
MIT Chess Club
National Collegiate Chess League
Stanford Chess Club
University of Chicago GSB Chess Club
Unversity of Illinois Chess Club
University of Maryland-Baltimore Chess Club
University of Oregon Chess Club
University of Texas-Dallas Chess in Education Certificate
University of Washington Chess Club

More and more colleges are seeking to recruit chess champs -- CNN April 2002

© 2002-2004 Chess Odyssey, Inc.  All rights reserved.